Relationships key to moving forward

Northwest Indiana leaders of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus say relationships are the key to moving their agenda forward.

State Rep. Earl Harris Jr., and State Rep. Carolyn Jackson assumed the one and two leadership spots, respectively, in the caucus and are aligned in the strategy that relationships — those with fellow legislators on both sides of the aisle and outside organizations — that they have built over their time in office will help them advance the legislation important to the group.

IBLC will announce its 2023 Legislative Agenda Monday at 8:30 a.m. in the Senate Democratic Caucus Room in Indianapolis.

“I’m excited about this new roll. I’m excited about working with the caucus as we look to grow,” Harris said.

The legislator said the issues that will appear on the caucus’s agenda this session do not deal with issues relative only to the African American community. Regardless of what the caucus focuses on, be it maternal health, education, workforce development, health care or the environment, the legislation will benefit all Hoosiers.

“It really is universal,” Harris said.

Creating legislation that appeals to a wide range of people is important in gaining the support needed to get bills passed.

“We don’t have the numbers to get anything passed without Republican support,” Harris said. He has been successful gathering Republican support for past legislation moving bills forward.

“You have to have relationships, continuing to build relationships so we have Republicans who support our mission as a caucus,” Harris said. Currently all members of the IBLC are Democrats. There currently are no Black Republicans in the state legislature.

Harris said he did not want to tease too much of the caucus’s agenda before the Monday release.

Some of the issues important this session include education and workforce development. The two go hand-in-hand, Harris said. He would like to see automatic enrollment in the state’s 21st Century Scholar program for all qualified students and would like to work to create hunger-free college campuses for students experience food insecurity.

Harris said he wants to make it easier for young people to continue their education after high school whether they get a certificate and go into a trade, or get a two-year or four-year degree.

“My belief is to set up a situation where students have an easier chance to get an education,” Harris said.

Jackson said the caucus is a group of individuals who try to stay in front of as many issues as possible.

“We try to look at different legislative bills to see how they will impact our community and if they are going to impact our community,” Jackson said. The goal is to try and ensure the most positive outcome for individuals impacted by the legislation.

Jackson too wants to focus on the state’s youth and schools. She is backing a bill that would prevent the Department of Child Services from interviewing children without a parent, guardian or someone like a school counselor also involved.

“Some of my bills are pertaining to children and the fact someone has to look out for them,” Jackson said. She would also like the law that requires schools to test for lead in their water to apply to preschools.

Jackson said she also plans to continue to press for passage of the railroad crossing bill. She called it disturbing trains can block traffic for hours, potentially cutting people off from emergency services and forcing school children to climb through train cars to get to class. Jackson said the problem is exacerbated by the closure of Franciscan St. Margaret’s in Hammond. Depending on where the train is stopped, people in need of emergency hospital care may not be able to get to Munster.

Like Harris, Jackson said it is the relationships she has built over the years that will help the caucus move its agenda forward.

“When I came to the Statehouse I didn’t know anyone … I talked to everybody and I tried to find that commonality. It does not matter what district you represent, be it Northwest or Southern Indiana. There are going to be issues in one community that mirror issues in another,” Jackson said.

“Whatever you talk about you have to find what that commonality is, strike up a working relationship and work on different bills and different things to get some good legislation passed,” Jackson said.